


The phantom guardian

by GhostInTheSky



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Torture, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, End, Existential Crisis, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Minecraft, Minecraft IRL, Minecraft Mobs - Freeform, MuffinMobsAU, Multiple Personalities, Nether, Original Character(s), Over World, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Transformation, War, endermen, ghast - Freeform, phantoms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26178310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostInTheSky/pseuds/GhostInTheSky
Summary: I never expected this to happen, no one did, but is no like we can complain anymore, that's how life works.Then she opened her wings and flew from the temple to the starry sky.Inspired by"Minecraft, but We’re Part Mob"by Catzooa and Lunaissickofhate
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Kudos: 7





	The phantom guardian

I’m alone in my house. I never have been the most social person, but I’m ok with that. It's not like I have much to say, I’m just a player who wants to live a peaceful life and explore sometimes. I’m not good at PvP, not the best in constructions or redstone, not a speedrunner, just a normal player.

Usually my only company was a strider I called Fireheart. He came through my portal so I made a lava pool for him and gave him food, then he decided to stay with me. He’s my adventure partner when I go to the Nether, but recently it seemed he went to visit his family.

People tend to worry because I’m always alone. They’re nice, they even invited me to a PvP competition this Saturday, but I always have to tell them to not worry. I know maybe I need to talk more but it is not like I have thoughts of leaving the world…

Leave World…

Those two words can give shivers to the spine of everyone, the button no one presses, the eternal death, the true suicide; Histories, legends and rumors are behind that button. No one knows what happens to the ones who decide to press it, their body is the only clue of what they did.

But it was no time for questioning the world for I have other things to do, like collect diamonds. After all if I participate in a PvP event I will need some armor and weapons, maybe netherite ones, and those things are everything but cheap. I took my iron sword and my pickaxes and went to the local market.

When I arrived the first thing I did was look for the armor store, that was easy, the store is one of the biggest here. Inside I saw, no joking, hundreds of different armors and weapons, each one with different enchantments and prices. However I was only looking for a simple netherite armor that I can enchant later. When I finally found it a worker was in front of it.

“Excuse me, how much does the armor cost?” I ask, hoping it’s not out of my price range.

“Two stacks of diamonds for each piece, no discounts.” The worker replied with a hand holding her head up from falling onto the counter. She looked and sounded pretty bored, probably because staying here all day waiting for people is a boring job. 

“What? They are that expensive?” I question, surprised at how expensive it is.

“Ancient debris is getting increasingly scarce, the miners have to travel weeks in the nether just to get some of it. So, for respect to the work of these people, we can’t give a minor price.” The worker explained at my surprise. Two stacks of diamonds were too much for me, especially with the time I have to get them. I was a little disappointed, but there was nothing more I could do.

“Well in that case, I want to buy a protection IV diamond armor, please.” When I changed my mind she seemed a little bit disappointed. I didn’t ask as she just guided me to the room where the diamond armors were at.

Before we reached it, a man stopped us. He seemed to be around forty, was very tall with black skin and hair. He was wearing a white suit and dark glasses, so I couldn’t see his eyes.

“Is something wrong boss?” The girl next to me said, revealing the status of the man in front us.

“Not really Caramel, I just want to talk to our client.” He said, looking at me with a calm but little bit intimidating expression. “My name is MarkOfDusk, or only Mark if you want, and I want to propose to you something. I know you’re interested in the netherite armor, and I will tell you the truth, selling this armor is only a waste of money. No one is buying it anymore, and it is too expensive to keep it. However I know the work of the netherite miners, that’s the only reason why I'm still buying it. I was thinking, maybe we can make an exchange.” His voice was loud, his expression calm, something you would expect from a businessman. I’m a little wary.

“What kind of exchange?” I felt this was too good to be real, but I was still curious about the situation. Maybe it could be my lucky day.

“Do you see those redstone lanterns?” The man pointed to a wall with a pillar full of lanterns. I nodded, waiting for what he was going to say. “We will do remodeling soon and will replace the redstone lanterns for sea lanterns, we need and stack and half of them for it. However, the amount of diamonds we need for that is almost the same we need to pay the miners, I can’t affront both payments without a reduce of personal.”

“So, do you want me to collect the sea lanterns?” My first thought after hearing that was I can’t. I only went once to a temple, and that wasn’t a good experience. I was about to say that, but he interrupted me.

“Please…” His voice changed in a moment, softer, if it wasn’t for the glasses I would say he was looking directly into my eyes. “These people live from doing travels that can take weeks, even months inside tunnels filled with lava, piglings and hoglings. If they die they have to start over again, and people are starting to stop buying them. I can give you a full protection IV armor if you want, but please… I would do it myself, but I… just can’t.”

“I will do it!” I end up answering, almost regretting it at the moment. How could I fall for such obvious pleas so quickly?!

That afternoon I went to the Nether to get some nether wart and on the way traded with the piglings. It was strange, for some reason they seemed to be happier and I was getting better exchanges. Well, it’s not like I complained about it.

“Hey you, with the black clothes.” A voice came from behind, a young man with a diamond pickaxe was there. He seemed tired but still had a happy smile. “You have enderpearls?”

“Um... Yes, why?“ I answer a little carefully.

“Thank god, I need to make a long trip, but I ran out of enderpearls and I’m having bad luck finding striders, can you sell me a few? I can offer some diamonds in exchange.” He explains, my guard drops again.

“And where are you going?” I was curious, even if the last years had shown the Nether is more habitable than it seems, it is strange to see people travelling a lot here.

“I’m going to four hundred thousand.” My face appeared to show my surprise with the answer because he started laughing.

“Hehe, sorry, that’s how people usually react when I tell them about my travels, you see, I’m a netherite miner. That means I’m always travelling farther and farther to collect ancient debris. That’s the reality of non-renewable materials, hehe, believe me, you don’t notice how abundant the diamonds are until you search for something really rare.”

“-Why did you choose this kind of work?“ I ask abruptly, feeling some disbelief.

“Well, it is not the worst work you can get. I can’t imagine how the people who collect elytras do their work…” He paused for a moment, a dreamy look covered his face with a smile. “You know, sometimes I want to be a Ghast.”

“A ghast?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Yeah. They can fly, are immune to the lava and can make explosions, you know how useful that would be in my job?” He explains, eyes focusing again a little.

“A lot it seems.” I replied, understanding where he was coming from now.

  
I spent the whole night preparing some armor with the diamonds I got. By the end, I decided to say goodbye to the PvP event. I would probably be busy for the next few days, maybe weeks, collecting prismarine. This was no longer for the armor.

It took me two days to finally find a non-looted temple, the bright structure was beautifully exposed under the water. I made my calculations; I needed 480 prismarine crystals and 384 shards if I wanted to make all the lanterns. I took a breath, drank a water breathing potion and, with a yawn, jumped into the sea.

  
Now I was swimming outside a temple, with half of my hearts, not even a quarter of the materials I needed and guardians pointing their lasers at me. I was really tired, with the only thought of reaching my boat, going home, feeding Fireheart if he’s there and sleeping for hours.

When I reached the surface, I was rewarded with oxygen in my lungs, the starry sky of a full moon night… And the phantoms, at least ten of them haunting me from above. My boat was still some blocks away so I started swimming the fastest I could with every ounce of adrenaline in my body.

I felt pain when the lasers hit me, only on two hearts now and trying even harder just to arrive at my boat. I didn’t want to lose my progress, no matter how little it was.

Finally I arrived at the boat, jumping in was difficult since I was feeling dizzy and weak. The adrenaline seemed to be gone, but I still tried to take the oars, tried to move, but my tired body was against me, my eyes were closing, everything was cold.

I saw the phantoms coming and a last laser turning yellow.

I finally closed my eyes.

**_Ghost-Of-Night was slain by a phantom and a guardian._**

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by ["Minecraft, but We’re Part Mob"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25998856)


End file.
